@NTA said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw on socials somewhere that Mack Hansen is expected to miss the 1st Test with a foot injury picked up against AUNZ.
Upvote on behalf of South Africa Scotlands best winger.
Rumoured Lions XV for the first test.
- Genge - Eng
- Sheehan - Ire
- Furlong - Ire
- Itoje (c) - Eng
- McCartney - Ire
- Beirne - Ire
- Curry - Eng
- Conan - Ire
- Gibson-Park - Ire
- Russell - Sco
- Lowe - Ire
- Tuipolotu - Sco
- Jones - Sco
- Freeman - Eng
- Keenan - Ire
Bench: Chessum - Eng, Earl - Eng, Marcus Smith - Eng, Aki - Ire. And I assume four others.
No Welsh player in the Lions 23 for a Test for the first time ever. No Farrell, no Pollock, no Van Der Flier.
Looks like one of the England or Welsh players or their agent has been leaking to the press.
My guess is that the other four players on the bench are: Porter - Ire, Kelleher - Ire, Stuart - Eng and Mitchell - Eng.
@sparky said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Rumoured Lions XV for the first test.
- Genge - Eng
- Sheehan - Ire
- Furlong - Ire
- Itoje (c) - Eng
- McCartney - Ire
- Beirne - Ire
- Curry - Eng
- Conan - Ire
- Gibson-Park - Ire
- Russell - Sco
- Lowe - Ire
- Tuipolotu - Sco
- Jones - Sco
- Freeman - Eng
- Keenan - Ire
Bench: Chessum - Eng, Earl - Eng, Marcus Smith - Eng, Aki - Ire. And I assume four others.
No Welsh player in the Lions 23 for a Test for the first time ever. No Farrell, no Pollock, no Van Der Flier.
That seems a strange selection in the back row. Curry is pretty quick, but the other two are glacial. All through the tour through Farrell has been selecting really dynamic back row combos, so this strikes me as either very odd or complete bollocks.
@mariner4life Going by his form in the AIs over here, that is a big loss.
@Catogrande It's nothing like the other back rows we have seen on this tour. But I guess all warfare is based on deception.
@sparky said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Catogrande It's nothing like the other back rows we have seen on this tour. But I guess all warfare is based on deception.
Indeed but that usually works best when you show your weakness and hide your strengths. Not so clever the other way around. :astonished_face:
That back row, if selected like that, is about the worst combination he could have come up with, that's impressive.
Chessum or Curry should have played 6, Morgan or Pollock should have played 7 and Earl or Conan should have played 8. Impressive to get none of those except Conan in the right position.
Beirne has been bloody awful on this tour in particular
@Dodge I couldn't agree more. I see though that the BBC are now reporting it as being as listed by @sparky but no official confirmation as yet.
With Chessum on the bench and Beirne starting, we are well covered, overloaded really, with second rows but light on proper back row cover. Maybe Farrell is shitting bricks over the line out, particularly when Kelleher comes on. He's a good player but not the best chucker in.
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Beirne has been bloody awful on this tour in particular
Yep, and current form will mean nothing if he is in the starting XV. But it is the Irish Lions.
@Catogrande said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@mariner4life Going by his form in the AIs over here, that is a big loss.
he's an incredible player, i am a huge fan of his work.
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